


Someone Special

by featherlight221b



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Happy Birthday Naegi Makoto, Naegi Makoto-centric, Post-Canon, The Biggest Most Awful Most Tragic Event in Human History (Dangan Ronpa)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29207253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/featherlight221b/pseuds/featherlight221b
Summary: Makoto finally realizes he's something of a hero to others. Happy birthday, Makoto.
Kudos: 25





	Someone Special

It’s ironic, in an almost silly way, really, but the first time Makoto realizes he is viewed by some people as someone special and not just an average no one who only survived thanks to simple luck and the help from others, is because of one of the Remnants of Despair. He knows of course that the killing school life was broadcasted to the whole world, is aware that people know about him and everything that went down at what used to be Hope’s Peak Academy. However, he hasn’t had much contact with many people that weren’t either his friends who survived with him or members of the Future Foundation. There are people he helped save, yes, and they’ve expressed immense gratitude, but that’s what people do when somebody saves their life, regardless of who it is. But it never occurred to him that people could admire or look up to him specifically. Not until he’s standing face to face with one of the terrorists the Future Foundation has been trying to hunt down since the beginning of the Tragedy and the man hurriedly tries to kick a dead body aside upon noticing him, then tries to stand in a way that hides it from sight as if Makoto hasn’t already seen it and then laughs awkwardly as he turns back to him and raises his right hand in a greeting.

“Naegi-san,” he says politely with a smile that looks almost excited. His eyes sparkle brightly. “I’ve been wondering when you would show up. Ah, I wasn’t expecting you _today_ though… sorry that you have to see me in such a… well, a rather _awkward_ predicament.”

He’s tall, thin and sickly pale, with messy white hair falling into his eyes. There’s a chain around his neck and a large mitten covering his left hand. He goes by Servant now, as Komaru told Makoto, but according to the files on the 77th class, his name is Nagito Komaeda. Enrolled in Hope’s Peak as the Ultimate Lucky Student, just like Makoto.

“Hello, Komaeda-san,” Makoto says, hesitantly. “Is it alright if I call you that?”

“Of course, you’re welcome to call me however you prefer,” Komaeda says and steps a little closer. He observes Makoto with an almost childlike wonder, then lets out a giddy laugh. “It’s amazing that someone like you has really come here to see me. Will I be going with you, Naegi-san? I’m not sure if it’s really okay if such a lowly being as myself travels with the Ultimate Hope himself… perhaps you should just give me an address and I go there alone? Ah, naturally, I won’t try to run away. Like I’ve said, I’ve been waiting for you to find me.”

_You won’t need help with that one_ , he remembers the words of the long-haired Remnant that still hasn’t given them his name. Makoto asked him then what that meant, but the man just shook his head and told him that Komaeda was boring and predictable enough as it was just like the others, and that telling him what to expect in advance would be pointless.

“Is that why you’re helping us track them down?” was Makoto’s other question. “Because you’re bored?”

“You are going to attempt to save us. You’ll fail, but if I will be able to feel again in the process then I’m going to help you,” the Remnant told him. “Komaeda is the only one left, he should be on the outskirts of Towa City.”

He was right both about Komaeda’s location and his willingness to be caught. Not that the other Remnants put up as much of a fight as he assumes they could have while being captured (which worries him, to tell the truth, but he can’t go back on his plan, and he has emergency procedures prepared just in case), but none of them seemed anything near as eager to go with him as this one is.

“Does that mean… you’re alright with being taken captive?” Makoto asks him.

Komaeda tilts his head as if confused by the question.

“Hmm? Why wouldn’t I be? It’s a real honor to be able to meet you, Naegi-san! And to think we even have a similar talent… of course I would never dare to call it the same!” he hastily assures him. “Your luck… has granted you the chance to be the one to kill _her_ , it’s _far_ superior to mine! I wasn’t even there to see it! I only watched the recording as it was happening… ah, that was a magnificent battle, Naegi-san, and if I can _be a part_ of your next battle against despair… I could never ask for a better luck than that, Naegi-san, I am truly grateful for this opportunity.”

More than just awkward, Makoto most of all feels surprised. Komaeda speaks as if he’s talking to a hero, and there’s something that sounds almost like worship when he mentions the downfall of Junko Enoshima, but shouldn’t it be hatred? Isn’t he on her side, after all?

“Ah, my rambling has confused you,” Komaeda notices. “My deepest regret, I wish the ground would swallow me whole right now… see, this is what I meant when I said it wouldn’t be best if you didn’t have to put yourself through the torture of travelling with me.”

Remnants of Despair lie, is something he has to remember. All of that could just be an act, no matter how genuine it seems.

“I’m sorry, Komaeda-san, but I’d rather you don’t go by yourself,” he says.

“Oh, are you sure? I really _am_ a disgusting being, you know… Oh! That’s why I wear this mitten!” he tells him cheerfully, now waving his left hand around.

Makoto doesn’t understand.

“Did something happen to your hand? That doesn’t make you – “

But words die in his throat as Komaeda pulls the mitten of and exposes the dainty, very female hand with long red fingernails that are _too_ familiar to Makoto. It’s obvious it’s not Komaeda’s hand and it’s just as clear who it originally belonged to.

Makoto feels a little sick and his head hurts.

“Oh, there it is! Are you disgusted now, Naegi-san? Do you still want to be around me? Have you realized by now that – “

“It’s – it’s… alright, Komaeda-san,” Makoto speaks, even if he chokes over his words a little. “Look, I would – I’d like to help you. You’re not disgusting, you’re a person, and you fell victim to Junko Enoshima,” resentment flashes in Komaeda’s eyes at the mention of the Ultimate Despair. “So I’m asking you to come with me and I promise to do everything in my power to save you and your classmates.”

Komaeda laughs in delight.

“Ah, how wonderful! Your hope truly is beautiful, Naegi-san.”

There’s such strong admiration in his eyes that Makoto feels weird. He’s not someone people should admire. He’s just doing what’s right. If he doesn’t do this, the Remnants will all be killed.

It’s the first but not the only time something like this happens.

Some of the times where he’s treated like more than he is are more normal than others. There are his friends for example, who value him too much, but he supposes that’s what friends do. It warms his heart, when he and Hina overhear Kyouko talking about him to Mitarai, or when Byakuya compliments him in his own way, saying how he wouldn’t want someone as stubborn as him as his enemy.

Then there are other people, such as Monaca Towa who only joined the Final Killing Game out of curiosity about him. Such as Munakata, who tells him it’s his role now to be the hope the world needs and a symbol of the future waiting for humanity beyond all the despair. Such as the people working under Byakuya who are unusually eager to help him whenever he needs or the people working looking after the rebuilt house of the Togami family who treat Makoto as if he was the heir himself.

“You _are_ our favorite guest, Naegi-kun,” the housekeeper tells him when Makoto asks about it one time, embarrassed. “You’ve not only saved the world but you’ve even made master Byakuya much more tolerable than he was as a kid,” she laughs. “That’s two impossible feats you’ve done, boy, we owe you.”

“I-I’m sure that’s exaggerating a bit,” he mumbles, blushing.

“Nonsense! You’re too humble for your own good, Naegi-kun!”

Then there are the survivors of the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History who are in awe upon meeting him. The man who approaches him as he’s buying groceries and stutters as he asks for an autograph, the girl who almost faints when he sits next to her on the bus, the little boy in the hospital he visits who looks at him like you’d look at your favorite superhero if they came to life.

“Are you… Makoto Naegi? The Ultimate Hope?” the child asks, staring at him with wide eyes.

Makoto smiles at the kid.

“I guess that’s me, yeah,” he says. “And what’s your name?”

“Me? I’m Yuki!” the boy introduces himself. “I wanna be like you when I grow up!”

Makoto blinks in surprise.

“Like me?”

“Yeah!” the boy nods his head. “My mom says that it’s thanks to you the world is getting better. You’re like… like Superman, but better. Because Superman isn’t real.”

And Makoto stops himself from protesting or saying he’s not that great, because the child is looking at him with such trust and _hope_ that it seems cruel to do anything that could crush the boy’s dreams. Once you give someone a dream, you become responsible for it. Is that what being a symbol of hope is about…?

“Thank you,” he ends up saying instead.

Perhaps by earning the title of the Ultimate Hope and deciding to help change the future he unknowingly accepted the role of becoming something like a hero. It’s strange and almost funny to think that he could be that hero to people, but if that’s what they need, it’s a role he’s willing to take and do his best not to fail.

Maybe it can give hope to kids who are the way he is – simple and average, but with the will to try and do what they can.

“It already has,” Kyouko tells him once he shares his thoughts after getting home. She smiles at him, a fond, warm smile. “You’d be surprised to realize just how many people haven’t given up on hope thanks to all you’ve done.”

And well, Kyouko is never wrong, is she?


End file.
